Rangers’ Skylar Hales Ascends With Triple-Digit Heat


Velocity hasn’t always been Skylar Hales’ forte. As a Santa Clara freshman in 2021, the righthander was throwing just 90 mph.
He was tall at 6-foot-3 but not particularly strong at 185 pounds. A season in a college weight program helped his velocity jump to 95 mph before his sophomore season. Then he registered 97 mph by the end of fall ball.
Triple digits followed in the spring, and the Rangers couldn’t pass on Hales in the fourth round in 2023. Now a robust 220 pounds, he is eclipsing 100 mph.
Hales finished the 2024 season at Double-A Frisco and was dispatched to the Arizona Fall League for another test that should serve him well after the first full season of his career.
“It’s kind of going along with the learning curve,” Hales said. “The beginning of the year was a little tough because I didn’t have my full routine yet. I thought it was like college.”
His innings count was similar to his time at Santa Clara, but he was pitching more frequently as a full-fledged reliever. He found a regimen that worked for him and helped him stay healthy for 56.2 innings in 44 appearances in 2024.
Hales posted a 3.18 ERA at two stops with 10 saves with 66 strikeouts and 17 walks. He pitched just 5.2 innings in the AFL, but he got in ample side work trying to make his slider more consistent and was toying with a splitter.
He appears to be on an accelerated track to the big leagues as part of a small group of hard-throwing minor league relievers. Hales, though, is trying not to look too far ahead.
“When I was getting (promoted) every step along the way, it’s like one step closer,” Hales said. “But you’ve got to take a step back. You can’t get consumed with that because you can get too eager.”